Kumar Sangakkara Profile

Kumar Sangakkara Profile

As soon as he broke into the side at the age of 22, while a law student, it was apparent that Kumar Sangakkara was destined for more than just batting stardom. The left-handers that had preceded him, like Arjuna Ranatunga and Asanka Gurusinha, had been pugnacious battlers but Sangakkara was cut from more graceful cloth, easing into strokes with the elegance often associated with those that play with the 'other' hand. The cut and the pull came naturally to him and with growing confidence, he became a more assured front-foot player as well.

Ranatunga had already exploded the myth of the Sri Lankans being meek men who could be bullied, but Sangakkara has refined the belligerence, combining a suave exterior with cutting asides and sharp sledges from behind the stumps. Initially, his glovework wasn't for the purists, but such was his batting ability that there was no question of displacing him from the XI.

As a batsman, he has matured steadily, and the appetite for runs was best illustrated at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo in 2006, when he and Mahela Jayawardene, captain and close friend, added 624 against a South African attack boasting Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini. Sangakkara contributed 287 and did his burgeoning reputation no harm a year later when he went to Hobart and scored a dazzling 192 in a narrowly lost cause. By then, he already had a half-century in a World Cup final to his name, and long before Jayawardene relinquished the captaincy, it was understood that Sangakkara would be the anointed one.

He has been far less relentless in the one-day arena, often throwing his wicket away when well set, but his leadership qualities have made him a sought-after signing in the Indian Premier League. With the captain's burden on his shoulders, he no longer keeps in Test matches, but the smart-alec remarks from behind the stumps are a common feature of every game that Sri Lanka plays in coloured clothes. If he keeps scoring at his present rate, every Sri Lankan batting record will be his by the time he stashes the kitbag away and takes up those weighty law tomes.

Full name Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara

Born October 27, 1977, Matale 

Current age 33 years 48 days

Major teams Sri Lanka, Asia XI, Central Province, Colombo District Cricket Association, ICC World XI, Kandurata, Kings XI Punjab, Marylebone Cricket Club, Nondescripts Cricket Club, Warwickshire

Playing role Wicketkeeper batsman

Batting style Left-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak

Fielding position Wicketkeeper

Batting and fielding averages

	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct	St
Tests	94	156	12	8244	287	57.25	14732	55.95	24	34	1059	25	163	20
ODIs	279	262	28	8604	138*	36.76	11404	75.44	10	58	857	37	274	70
T20Is	29	28	3	777	78	31.08	652	119.17	0	6	78	14	14	9
First-class	179	285	22	12628	287	48.01			32	58			323	33
List A	363	342	37	11876	156*	38.93			17	76			360	93
Twenty20	80	76	6	2182	94	31.17	1690	129.11	0	16	244	39	42	22

Bowling averages

	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	94	2	66	38	0	-	-	-	3.45	-	0	0	0
ODIs	279	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
T20Is	29	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
First-class	179		192	108	1	1/13		108.00	3.37	192.0		0	0
List A	363	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Twenty20	80	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Career statistics

 
Test debut     Sri Lanka v South Africa at Galle, Jul 20-23, 2000 

Last Test     Sri Lanka v West Indies at Pallekele, Dec 1-5, 2010

ODI debut     Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Galle, Jul 5, 2000
Last ODI     Australia v Sri Lanka at Brisbane, Nov 7, 2010

T20I debut     England v Sri Lanka at Southampton, Jun 15, 2006
Last T20I     Australia v Sri Lanka at Perth, Oct 31, 2010

First-class debut     1997/98
Last First-class     Sri Lanka v West Indies at Pallekele, Dec 1-5, 2010
List A debut     1997/98
Last List A     Australia v Sri Lanka at Brisbane, Nov 7, 2010
Twenty20 debut     Nondescripts Cricket Club v Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club at Colombo (Moors), Aug 17, 2004
Last Twenty20     Australia v Sri Lanka at Perth, Oct 31, 2010

Stuart Broad Profile

Stuart Broad Profile

With his blond hair and baby-faced good looks, Stuart Broad was already looking like becoming the Next Big Thing of English cricket when he pushed his career into overdrive in a sensational spell of bowling in the fifth and decisive Ashes Test at The Oval in 2009. With the series in the balance, Broad claimed figures of 5 for 37 in 12 overs, including 4 for 8 in 21 balls, and after that there was no coming back for Australia. 

In his early cricketing career, Broad had been shaping up to be an opening bat just like his dad Chris, until he suddenly shot up. Within 18 months he had transformed himself into a medium-fast bowler and was playing for England Under-19 and Leicestershire's first XI. A few months later and he's gone from England's A team to a call-up to the full one-day side. Talk about a meteoric rise. 

"I thought I may as well try bowling because I can't just stand around in the field all day," he shrugged - and promptly took 9 for 72 for England Under-19s in ODIs against Sri Lanka and 30 first-class wickets at 27.69 in ten matches in 2005.

But those early years as a batsman did not go amiss. After his first eight Tests, he had racked up three half-centuries from the pivotal No. 8 position, and push his Test average above 40 - a mark his father (39.54) just missed out on over the course of his 25-match career. 

At the age of just 19, he was called into the England A set-up in the West Indies to replace James Anderson who flew out to bolster the seniors in India and was twice selected for England A during the 2006 season.

His early performances for the one-day team, against Pakistan, were promising but he was left out of the Champions Trophy 14, but more out of a feeling of not wanting to push him too hard, too soon. He was named in the Academy team to be based in Perth during the Ashes and by the end of the winter he had joined the World Cup squad in the Caribbean. 

Injury deprived him of a Test debut in May 2007, but he marked his return to the one-day side with 3 for 20 against West Indies at Lord's, and he was then announced in England's squad for the first Test against India in July. His stock continued to rise on tour with England in Sri Lanka when his 11 cheap wickets helped them to a 3-2 series victory.

He was then called up for the subsequent Test series in December, making his debut on a slab of Colombo concrete and toiling for 36 sweaty overs. The subsequent tour of New Zealand proved to be his making, however. With Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison both lacking form, he was selected for the Wellington Test. The decision was immediately vindicated, if not with a huge match-haul then certainly by the composure and control he showed. 

The following Test in Napier, however, demonstrated his immense allround talent. A vital 42 helped prop up England's first innings before he took 3 for 54, testing all New Zealand's batsmen with pace and bounce. A diving catch at backward square leg confirmed, if there were any doubts, that England had found themselves a Test cricketer of rare class and even rarer composure.

That impression continued to climb during England's home season in 2008 when no less a technical purist as Geoffrey Boycott likened his tall elegant batting style to Sir Garfield Sobers. Although he has struggled at times for consistency with his bowling, his unmistakable talent was out on show again against South Africa in Durban in 2009. He combined with Graeme Swann to produce a match-defining spell in the second innings, taking 4 for 43 to burst through the vaunted middle order and condemn South Africa to an innings defeat.

Full name Stuart Christopher John Broad

Born June 24, 1986, Nottingham 

Current age 24 years 172 days

Major teams England, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire

Nickname Broady

Batting style Left-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium

Height 6 ft 5 in 

Education Oakham School

Relation Father - BC Broad  

Batting and fielding averages

	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct	St
Tests	34	46	6	1096	169	27.40	1848	59.30	1	5	141	7	9	0
ODIs	73	43	14	372	45*	12.82	514	72.37	0	0	24	5	17	0
T20Is	29	11	5	36	10*	6.00	29	124.13	0	0	3	1	13	0
First-class	77	97	19	1959	169	25.11	3621	54.10	1	12			22	0
List A	90	49	15	418	45*	12.29	588	71.08	0	0	27	5	19	0
Twenty20	44	13	6	45	10*	6.42	42	107.14	0	0	3	1	14	0

Bowling averages

	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	34	60	6693	3489	99	6/91	6/87	35.24	3.12	67.6	2	3	0
ODIs	73	73	3710	3187	124	5/23	5/23	25.70	5.15	29.9	8	1	0
T20Is	29	28	611	755	35	3/17	3/17	21.57	7.41	17.4	0	0	0
First-class	77		13730	7630	261	8/52		29.23	3.33	52.6	8	12	1
List A	90		4492	3875	149	5/23	5/23	26.00	5.17	30.1	8	1	0
Twenty20	44	43	958	1072	55	3/13	3/13	19.49	6.71	17.4	0	0	0

Career statistics

Test debut     Sri Lanka v England at Colombo (SSC), Dec 9-13, 2007
Last Test     Australia v England at Adelaide, Dec 3-7, 2010
ODI debut     England v Pakistan at Cardiff, Aug 30, 2006
Last ODI     England v Pakistan at Southampton, Sep 22, 2010
T20I debut     England v Pakistan at Bristol, Aug 28, 2006
Last T20I     England v Pakistan at Cardiff, Sep 7, 2010
First-class debut     2005
Last First-class     Australia v England at Adelaide, Dec 3-7, 2010
List A debut     2005
Last List A     England v Pakistan at Southampton, Sep 22, 2010
Twenty20 debut     Leicestershire v Nottinghamshire at Leicester, Jun 27, 2006
Last Twenty20     England v Pakistan at Cardiff, Sep 7, 2010

Ian Bell Profile

Once described by Dayle Hadlee as the best 16-year old he had ever seen, Ian Bell had been earmarked for greatness long before he was drafted onto the England tour of New Zealand in 2001-02, as cover for the injured Mark Butcher. 

Technically sound, Bell is a top-order batsman very much in the mould of Michael Atherton, who was burdened with similar expectations when he made his England debut a generation ago. But unlike Atherton, who invariably produced his best when his back was firmly against the wall, Bell's most fluent efforts have generally come about in a pressure vacuum, a trait that belies an average hovering around the 40 mark, and a record of a century every five or so Tests.

When in form, he is particularly adept at leaving the ball outside off stump, and he received glowing reviews from coaches at every stage of his development, not least from Rod Marsh at the England Academy, a man not given to hyperbole. A former England U19 captain, Bell had played just 13 first-class games when called into the England squad, though in 2001 he scored 836 runs for Warwickshire at an average of over 64, including three centuries. Amid all the attention, Bell's form slumped, but by 2004 he was on his way back. 

He finally made his Test debut against West Indies in August 2004, stroking 70 in his only innings, before returning the following summer to lift his career average to an obscene 297 with two unbeaten innings against Bangladesh, including his maiden Test century at Chester-le-Street. Unsurprisingly, he wouldn't find such easy pickings on offer for the rest of the summer. Found out - like so many others - by Australia's champions, McGrath and Warne, he mustered just 171 runs in ten innings, but bounced back that winter, top-scoring for the series against Pakistan, including a classy century at Faisalabad. 

After seeking advice from Alec Stewart to assert himself at the crease, he struck three elegant centuries in successive Tests against Pakistan and went to Australia with a new-found belief, having been named ICC's young player of the year for 2006. He was targeted by the Australian sledging, but managed four elegant half-centuries to confirm his stature as a Test batsman. By the end of England's disappointing World Cup campaign in March and April, Bell was one of a handful of squad members to have established themselves in both forms of the game.

Yet for all his class, the doubts persisted in his inability to convert fifties into match-turning hundreds. His critics were briefly quietened after making 110 against New Zealand in Napier and a career-best 199 against South Africa at Lord's, but an unproductive winter saw him dropped after the first Test of the West Indies tour. He returned midway through the Ashes, however, and responded with a pair of half-centuries in three Tests, including a gutsy 72 on the first day of the final Test at The Oval. One Test later, he was back under pressure after failing twice in the opening Test against South Africa at Centurion. However, with the critics circling he responded with a sublime 140 to help set up an innings victory for England in the second Test at Durban, before helping to save the next match at Cape Town with a steely five-hour 78. 

Born April 11, 1982, Walsgrave, Coventry, Warwickshire 

Current age 28 years 246 days

Major teams England, England Lions, Marylebone Cricket Club, Warwickshire,  Warwickshire Cricket Board

Nickname Belly

Playing role Top-order batsman

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm medium

Height 5 ft 10 in 

Education Princethorpe College, Rugby

Batting and fielding averages

	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct	St
Tests	59	102	11	4007	199	44.03	7925	50.56	11	25	461	18	50	0
ODIs	83	80	8	2622	126*	36.41	3625	72.33	1	16	262	11	24	0
T20Is	5	5	1	109	60*	27.25	99	110.10	0	1	14	1	4	0
First-class	177	298	30	12092	262*	45.11			32	64			127	0
List A	205	195	20	6811	158	38.92			7	49			70	0
Twenty20	42	41	6	860	85	24.57	761	113.00	0	4	76	21	16	0

Bowling averages

	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	59	6	108	76	1	1/33	1/33	76.00	4.22	108.0	0	0	0
ODIs	83	6	88	88	6	3/9	3/9	14.66	6.00	14.6	0	0	0
T20Is	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
First-class	177		2809	1564	47	4/4		33.27	3.34	59.7	3	0	0
List A	205		1290	1138	33	5/41	5/41	34.48	5.29	39.0	0	1	0
Twenty20	42	10	132	186	3	1/12	1/12	62.00	8.45	44.0	0	0	0

Career statistics

Test debut     England v West Indies at The Oval, Aug 19-21, 2004
Last Test     Australia v England at Adelaide, Dec 3-7, 2010
ODI debut     Zimbabwe v England at Harare, Nov 28, 2004
Last ODI     England v Pakistan at Southampton, Sep 22, 2010
T20I debut     England v Pakistan at Bristol, Aug 28, 2006
Last T20I     England v New Zealand at Manchester, Jun 13, 2008
First-class debut     1999
Last First-class     Victoria v England XI at Melbourne, Dec 10-12, 2010
List A debut     1999
Last List A     England v Pakistan at Southampton, Sep 22, 2010
Twenty20 debut     Somerset v Warwickshire at Taunton, Jun 13, 2003
Last Twenty20     Warwickshire v Derbyshire at Birmingham, Jun 25, 2010

Steven Finn Profile

Steven Finn Profile

Standing at 6' 7'' Steven Finn is the latest bean-pole fast bowler to carry England's hopes. Pinging the ball down from the clouds he has the heady blend of pace and trampolining bounce to rattle the best players. He made his county debut for Middlesex as a 16-year-old in 2005, the youngest to do so since Fred Titmus in 1949, and was earmarked as an England prospect from his early days. 

When he secured a more permanent position in 2007 he delayed going to university in 2008. He represented England at all age-group levels from Under-16 upwards and his call-up to the senior squad in Bangladesh showed he'd impressed the right people

He enjoyed a solid 2009 season for Middlesex, taking 53 wickets at 30.64 in the Championship and was selected for England Lions' tour to UAE. He impressed enough to be named in England's list of 30 probables for the World Twenty20 but, with a number of others ahead of him, it looked unlikely selection for the senior team would come knocking until the next season. 

However, Stuart Broad, Graham Onions and Ryan Sidebottom all picked up injuries early on England's tour to Bangladesh and Finn was parachuted in as cover. Barely 24 hours after arriving in the country he was playing in the warm-up game against Bangladesh A and impressed on his Test debut three days later displaying good pace and bounce on a docile Chittagong surface.

With the England management desperately searching for a consistent replacement for Steve Harmison, Finn marked his home debut in style. In the familiar surroundings of Lord's, Finn carried a rusty England attack with 4 for 100 in the first innings and went one better in the second, taking 5 for 87 to finish with nine in the game and the man-of-the-match medal in just his third Test.

Full name Steven Thomas Finn

Born April 4, 1989, Watford, Hertfordshire 

Current age 21 years 250 days

Major teams England, England Lions, England Under-19s, Middlesex, Middlesex 2nd XI

Nickname Finny

Playing role Bowler

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium

Height 6 ft 7 in 

Education Parmiter's School, Watford

Batting and fielding averages

	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct	St
Tests	10	10	8	13	9*	6.50	88	14.77	0	0	2	0	3	0
First-class	50	63	22	245	26*	5.97	927	26.42	0	0	27	1	13	0
List A	32	9	2	35	13	5.00	76	46.05	0	0	4	0	4	0
Twenty20	16	3	2	14	8	14.00	15	93.33	0	0	1	0	4	0

Bowling averages

	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	10	20	1612	1024	41	6/125	9/187	24.97	3.81	39.3	1	3	0
First-class	50		8355	5043	176	9/37		28.65	3.62	47.4	6	6	1
List A	32	30	1290	1112	37	3/23	3/23	30.05	5.17	34.8	0	0	0
Twenty20	16	16	308	431	15	3/22	3/22	28.73	8.39	20.5	0	0	0

Career statistics

 
Test debut     Bangladesh v England at Chittagong, Mar 12-16, 2010 

Last Test     Australia v England at Adelaide, Dec 3-7, 2010

First-class debut     2005
Last First-class     Australia v England at Adelaide, Dec 3-7, 2010
List A debut     Glamorgan v Middlesex at Ebbw Vale, Jul 29, 2007
Last List A     Middlesex v Derbyshire at Lord's, Sep 4, 2010
Twenty20 debut     Kent v Middlesex at Beckenham, Jun 20, 2008
Last Twenty20     Middlesex v Gloucestershire at Uxbridge, Jul 11, 2010

Graeme Swann Profile

Graeme Swann Profile

Graeme Swann came to prominence with a maiden first-class century for Northants against Leicestershire in the Championship in 1998, his first season, and was regularly promoted in the batting order to provide impetus in one-day cricket. He impressed all observers with his positive attitude and energy. Fast-tracked into the A team to tour South Africa and Zimbabwe, he took 21 wickets at 25.61, and averaged 22 with the bat.

Called up for the final Test against New Zealand during England's inglorious summer of 1999, Swann was subsequently left out of the final XI, but rewarded with a place as part of the new-look England squad to tour South Africa that winter.

He found life outside the Test team frustrating, but made his international debut at Bloemfontein in the triangular tournament when Ashley Giles's injury saw him called into the one-day squad. Swann bowled only five overs, but showed confidence in continuing to spin the ball appreciably.

However, his off-field conduct left some unimpressed - what some saw as confidence, others interpreted as arrogance or cheek - and he rapidly slid out of the international reckoning. After marking time with Northants for a while, he decided to seek fame and fortune elsewhere, and packed his bags for Nottinghamshire and Trent Bridge in 2005. This decision was justified when he was a key member of the Nottinghamshire side that won the County Championship in 2005. 

After the club's relegation the following summer, Swann played a major part in their return to Division One with 516 runs and 45 wickets. It earned him an international recall for the one-day series in Sri Lanka, nearly eight years after his debut. He made his Test debut against India in Chennai, taking two wickets in his first over - only the second time that has happened. 

Before the winter was out Swann's variety and control, allied to his lusty lower-order hitting, had confirmed him as England's first-choice spinner in all formats, and though he started the 2009 Ashes with a nervy performance in the first Test at Cardiff, he soon settled into a crucial series of performances. He produced four-wicket hauls in both of England's victories, at Lord's and The Oval, and he had the honour of taking the decisive wicket of the series, that of Michael Hussey on the final day of the fifth Test. 

As England looked to avoid the Ashes hangover that infected their 2005 success, Swann proved pivotal. He helped England to a memorable innings victory in the second Test against South Africa in Durban in December 2009. Swann collected nine wickets in the game, including 5 for 54 in the second innings, which took him to 54 wickets in 2009, the first time an England spinner has managed more than 50 in a year. The performance also propelled him to No.3 in the world, the highest ranking for an England spinner in decades and Swann is now one of the first names on the team sheet. His stature as the leader of their attack in all formats was confirmed when he finished England's leading wicket-taker during their successful 2010 World Twenty20 campaign - finishing with 10 wickets in seven matches.

Full name Graeme Peter Swann

Born March 24, 1979, Northampton

Current age 31 years 261 days

Major teams England, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire

Nickname Chin

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak

Height 6 ft 0 in

Education Sponne School, Towcester

Relation Father - R Swann, Brother - AJ Swann 

Batting and fielding averages

	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct	St
Tests	26	32	5	663	85	24.55	809	81.95	0	4	83	9	22	0
ODIs	43	27	4	295	34	12.82	366	80.60	0	0	25	1	19	0
T20Is	20	8	6	42	15*	21.00	36	116.66	0	0	2	0	2	0
First-class	204	279	23	6812	183	26.60			4	35			152	0
List A	230	175	20	2945	83	19.00			0	14			78	0
Twenty20	61	46	10	729	90*	20.25	529	137.80	0	3	88	17	17	0

Bowling averages

	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	26	46	6843	3323	122	6/65	10/217	27.23	2.91	56.0	7	10	1
ODIs	43	41	1902	1436	59	5/28	5/28	24.33	4.52	32.2	3	1	0
T20Is	20	19	402	435	30	3/14	3/14	14.50	6.49	13.4	0	0	0
First-class	204		36489	18159	571	7/33		31.80	2.98	63.9		25	4
List A	230		9132	6720	259	5/17	5/17	25.94	4.41	35.2	11	3	0
Twenty20	61	60	1284	1427	77	3/14	3/14	18.53	6.66	16.6	0	0	0

Career statistics

Test debut     India v England at Chennai, Dec 11-15, 2008
Last Test     Australia v England at Adelaide, Dec 3-7, 2010
ODI debut     South Africa v England at Bloemfontein, Jan 23, 2000
Last ODI     England v Pakistan at Southampton, Sep 22, 2010
T20I debut     New Zealand v England at Auckland, Feb 5, 2008
Last T20I     England v Pakistan at Cardiff, Sep 7, 2010
First-class debut     1998
Last First-class     Australia v England at Adelaide, Dec 3-7, 2010
List A debut     1997
Last List A     England v Pakistan at Southampton, Sep 22, 2010
Twenty20 debut     Worcestershire v Northamptonshire at Worcester, Jun 13, 2003
Last Twenty20     England v Pakistan at Cardiff, Sep 7, 2010

Andrew Strauss Profile

Andrew Strauss Profile

A compact left-hander with a preference for pummelling the ball square off the back foot with a crunching cut, Andrew Strauss has worked out a superb technique for Test cricket. He put early problems against Shane Warne behind him to make two hundreds in the epic 2005 Ashes series, and added another big one (161) in 2009 to set up England's first victory over the old enemy at Lord's since 1934. Mike Atherton and Alec Stewart, by contrast, only ever managed one century apiece against Australia. 

Calm and urbane, Strauss put the disappointment of being passed over as England's captain for the 2006-07 Ashes series - probably a godsend, as it turned out, as even Doctor Who would have had trouble with those rampant whitewash-bound Aussies - to bounce back in 2009 and orchestrate the recapture of the urn. 

Strauss's early county cricket with Middlesex did not exactly suggest a star in the making, but a century in 2003 against Lancashire, with Andrew Flintoff charging in, set the selectors sniffing - and also made Strauss believe he had what it took. After a few one-day caps that winter Strauss was called up for the first Test against New Zealand in 2004 after Michael Vaughan twisted his knee in the Lord's nets. Strauss responded with a confident century, and was unlucky to miss another one in the second innings when Nasser Hussain ran him out 17 short. But Hussain had seen enough: with Vaughan set to return, he announced his immediate retirement, confident that Strauss was the real deal.

Strauss has been emphasising that almost ever since, responding to being dropped from the one-day team by upping his strike-rate, and probably saving his Test career after a poor run with an eight-hour 177 in a series-clinching victory over New Zealand early in 2008. That century had been a long time coming: after ten tons in his first 30 Tests, Strauss did not reach three figures in his next 15 games - and the knives were well and truly out when he fell for a duck, driving loosely, in the first innings of that Napier match. 

After an early flirtation with captaincy in 2006 - he memorably dubbed himself "the stand-in for the stand-in" in the absence of the injured Vaughan and Flintoff - Strauss inherited the armband again early in 2009, after the messy sacking of Kevin Pietersen and coach Peter Moores. It was not a good way to start - but Strauss has hardly put a foot wrong since.

 

Full name Andrew John Strauss

Born March 2, 1977, Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa 

Current age 33 years 283 days

Major teams England, Middlesex, Northern Districts

Nickname Straussy, Levi, Mareman, Muppet

Playing role Opening batsman

Batting style Left-hand bat

Bowling style Left-arm medium

Height 5 ft 11 in 

Education Radley College, Durham University

Batting and fielding averages

	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct	St
Tests	79	143	6	5888	177	42.97	11754	50.09	19	21	729	9	89	0
ODIs	113	112	8	3692	154	35.50	4621	79.89	5	24	403	22	49	0
T20Is	4	4	0	73	33	18.25	64	114.06	0	0	9	0	1	0
First-class	204	362	19	14431	177	42.07			38	63			181	0
List A	240	233	14	7118	163	32.50			9	46			82	0
Twenty20	28	28	0	519	60	18.53	442	117.42	0	2	73	3	12	0

Bowling averages

	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	79	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
ODIs	113	1	6	3	0	-	-	-	3.00	-	0	0	0
T20Is	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
First-class	204		102	89	2	1/16		44.50	5.23	51.0		0	0
List A	240		6	3	0	-	-	-	3.00	-	0	0	0
Twenty20	28	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Career statistics

 
Test debut     England v New Zealand at Lord's, May 20-24, 2004 

Last Test     Australia v England at Adelaide, Dec 3-7, 2010

ODI debut     Sri Lanka v England at Dambulla, Nov 18, 2003
Last ODI     England v Pakistan at Southampton, Sep 22, 2010

T20I debut     England v Australia at Southampton, Jun 13, 2005
Last T20I     West Indies v England at Port of Spain, Mar 15, 2009

First-class debut     1998
Last First-class     Australia v England at Adelaide, Dec 3-7, 2010
List A debut     1997
Last List A     England v Pakistan at Southampton, Sep 22, 2010
Twenty20 debut     Surrey v Middlesex at The Oval, Jun 13, 2003
Last Twenty20     West Indies v England at Port of Spain, Mar 15, 2009

 

Paul Collingwood Profile

Paul Collingwood

 

A natural athlete with a happy-go-lucky temperament, Paul Collingwood became the first England captain to ever deliver a global tournament when England beat Australia to win the 2010 World Twenty20. It was reward for nine years of uncomplaining professionalism, in which time he fought his way through a melee of seemingly more talented opponents to make himself indispensable in both forms of the game. 

Collingwood's greatest asset is ability to contribute to the team in several aspects. As a batsman, he stands still at the crease, plays the ball straight and has a tantalising range of strokes up his sleeve. His bowling verges towards the dibbly-dobbly, but given the right conditions he can be irresistible, as he proved with a matchwinning display of swing bowling in the third one-day game against New Zealand in 2001-02. As a fielder, he is one of the finest in the world, capable of breathtaking moments in the covers and backward point.The final tick in his column is his determination, which made him go to Melbourne in the winter of 2000-01 to play grade cricket when he realised he was treading water.

For the first few years in his international career he seemed destined to be a fill-in player. But at Lahore in the 2005 winter, he stuck 96 and 80 before hitting a brilliant maiden century at Nagpur with England in the middle of an injury crisis. He kicked on to become the rock of England's batting on the subsequent Ashes tour. His brilliant double-century at Adelaide ought to have been the defining moment of his career. Instead it was the preamble to one of the most devastating defeats in English Test history. But after an understandable period of introspection, Collingwood bounced back with back-to-back one-day centuries to secure the CB Series. It was England's first overseas one-day trophy for nine years, and his subsequent appointment to the captaincy in June 2007 was met with unanimous approval. He cemented the role with memorable victories over India at home and Sri Lanka away.

A slump in form in 2008 led to his omission from the Test team and his resignation as ODI captain, but he took back the reins for the ICC World Twenty20 in 2009, a decision that didn't look too prudent when England were embarrassed by the Netherlands in the opening match of the tournament. However, less than a year later England had developed into a ruthless power-packed Twenty20 side. Led by Collingwood, their blend of fearless hitting with dynamite fielding and thoughtful bowling brushed aside all challenges as England won the World Twenty20. They got there in style - beating Australia in the final - with Collingwood finishing with the winning runs.

 

Full name Paul David Collingwood

Born May 26, 1976, Shotley Bridge, Co Durham 

Current age 34 years 197 days

Major teams England, Delhi Daredevils, Durham

Nickname Colly

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm medium

Height 5 ft 11 in 

Education Blackfyne Comprehensive School

Batting and fielding averages

	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct	St
Tests	65	111	10	4222	206	41.80	9070	46.54	10	20	468	24	91	0
ODIs	189	173	35	4978	120*	36.07	6501	76.57	5	26	359	72	105	0
T20Is	33	31	2	561	79	19.34	429	130.76	0	3	35	24	12	0
First-class	193	331	26	11236	206	36.83			24	58			222	0
List A	359	337	59	9469	120*	34.06			8	54			182	0
Twenty20	52	47	5	855	79	20.35	674	126.85	0	6	54	39	16	0

Bowling averages

	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	65	56	1833	1007	15	3/23	3/35	67.13	3.29	122.2	0	0	0
ODIs	189	144	4898	4095	106	6/31	6/31	38.63	5.01	46.2	3	1	0
T20Is	33	19	222	329	16	4/22	4/22	20.56	8.89	13.8	1	0	0
First-class	193		9874	5010	123	5/52		40.73	3.04	80.2		1	0
List A	359		9444	7651	221	6/31	6/31	34.61	4.86	42.7	4	1	0
Twenty20	52	33	463	579	36	5/14	5/14	16.08	7.50	12.8	2	1	0

Career statistics

 
Test debut     Sri Lanka v England at Galle, Dec 2-6, 2003 

Last Test     Australia v England at Adelaide, Dec 3-7, 2010

ODI debut     England v Pakistan at Birmingham, Jun 7, 2001
Last ODI     England v Pakistan at Southampton, Sep 22, 2010

T20I debut     England v Australia at Southampton, Jun 13, 2005
Last T20I     England v Pakistan at Cardiff, Sep 7, 2010

First-class debut     1996
Last First-class     Australia v England at Adelaide, Dec 3-7, 2010
List A debut     1995
Last List A     England v Pakistan at Southampton, Sep 22, 2010
Twenty20 debut     England v Australia at Southampton, Jun 13, 2005
Last Twenty20     England v Pakistan at Cardiff, Sep 7, 2010